FOXBORO — In his first year of eligibility, Bill Belichick has reportedly been passed over for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Belichick did not receive the minimum 40 of 50 votes from the Hall’s voting committee in the Coach/Contributor category, according to an ESPN report. The 73-year-old coach must wait until at least next year for enshrinement, likely along with other Super Bowl-winning head coaches Mike Shanahan and Tom Coughlin among others. It is unclear if Patriots owner Robert Kraft will be elected this year after being shut out in recent years.
Kraft came out in support of Belichick on Wednesday. On Thursday, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said that Belichick’s election is inevitable, even if he isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“I’m sure Bill will get in,” he expressed confidently. “That’s something that’s well out of my control. I know that the time here with Bill (was) eight great years, (and) the teammates, and everybody else that we had. I’m sure that Bill will get into Canton.”
In New England, Belichick developed his reputation as the greatest pro football coach of all time by winning six Super Bowl. He ranks second all-time in career wins with 333, trailing only former Dolphins coach Don Shula.
